The idea of sustainability and locality in food is not a new concept. In fact, it’s ancient. And while it has been around for a long time, Alice Waters was truly the pioneer of the modern movement at Chez Panisse. She was one of the first American chef-owners to put the ‘farm to table’ movement on the map through her use of local and seasonal ingredients.
In the 2000s, nearly every major city, typically in more affluent areas, had a few operators who claimed to be not just farm to table, but focused on organically-grown or organically-raised ingredients. Fast forward to today, in places like New York City, Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco, and it’s almost expected that any restaurant worth noting works with local farms and sources proteins from local fishmongers and ranchers who ethically and organically raise their animals. It’s a sentiment that’s also crept its way into the wine side of restaurants, with the natural and biodynamic wine movement taking hold in many major markets.
But do consumers really care?
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